At midnight, a little after midnight, Eira woke up and heard a voice outside her tent.

Eira woke up and heard a voice outside his tent.

"What's ......?"

"Oh, Eira-san, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Oh, Eira-san, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." "No, it's okay. You slept better than I thought you would, you look refreshed. ...... Oh, is that ?"

Outside the tent was a woman wearing a hat.

She looked about the same age as Erica.

But Erika has dark brown hair and brown eyes, while Linen has dark blond hair and blue-gray eyes.

Eira again marveled at Jin's skill.

"Yes, my name is Linen. I am a merchant in this region.

"I'm Eira. I'm Eira. Nice to meet you.

Eira woke up and decided to listen to Linen's report with Erika.

It seems that someone has taken over the town of Hulek.

"Control?"

"Control?" "Yes. Yes. You all wore hats, didn't you?

Those hats?

No. Underneath the hat, there is a ring that fits on the head. Let's call that ring ...... the Dominate Ring.

"<>......

"It seems to control the actions and thoughts of the person who is trapped in it."

"Terrifying. ......"

(How dare you create ......<> and , the desire for control is a terrible thing.

"Hm?　What?

No, it's nothing.

Who is the mastermind behind the ......<>?

"Unknown at this time."

I see. ......

"We have not been able to investigate it because it is hidden behind a magic barrier."

......" was Linen's report.

Eira felt that the situation was becoming clearer now.

It was very hard not to know what was going on.

"So you are saying that the town of Hulek is controlled by someone and that those who visit it are controlled by someone as well?

"Approximately, that is correct."

"...... So, Groma, too?

"Probably."

Perhaps... - Hey, hey, hey, hey, we have to go help him!

"Wait a minute. We can't take them.

We can't?　No? - Yeah... ......

Eira guessed that the other side must have a lot of power if they can't do it even with two automata made by Jin.

"Besides, if we go head-on, there is a possibility that they will use the captured people as hostages.

"Yes, that's right."

Linen was right, and Eira couldn't argue with him.

"Therefore, we need to gather a little more information about the enemy.

"Yes, that's right. ......"

Eira nodded her head, suppressing her urge to speak.

"For now, there is still time in the morning. Leave the information gathering to us and go to sleep.

Eira suddenly felt sleepy.

Her tense spirit seemed to relax a little now that she understood what was going on.

"I'll leave it to you.

I'll leave it to you to keep an eye on things.

"Yes, I will."

Eira retreated to her tent, and Erika and Linen took over the watch.

The night is not yet over.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

>

At the same time, in the early morning on Horai Island, Jin received a report from the old man.

"Well, Eira was saved, wasn't she?"

"But did they catch Groma? We still haven't found the chair."

<

"No, I suppose we have no choice. We're dealing with the same kind of technology.

What we have found so far in our investigations.

<.

The people who form the core of the town have definitely mastered the < family technology.

And <> they rule the whole town with <>.

That is all.

The purpose of this domination of the people is unknown.

The mastermind is also unknown.

The mastermind is behind the magic barrier, and is beyond the reach of the peeping telescope.

"Are they the ones who inherited the technology of Horai Island, albeit somewhat degraded? ......"

<>

"That's certainly troublesome."

Jin had no idea that his descendants or disciples would become enemies...... in this case, enemies of Jin, or perhaps more appropriately, enemies of mankind.......

>, I would not have caused the schism.

The old man apologized for his lack of strength, which Jin could not accept.

No, it was not his fault. Maybe this is ...... the nature of ...... people."

"Yes. When a lot of people get together, there is a lack of unity of opinion, and each person says what they want, and some of them reveal their desires, and the world is in disarray. ......

"The history of mankind proves it."

Unfortunately," Jin said with a self-mocking smile, .......

* * * *

On the other hand, there was one more person who wondered about the situation.

"Kachair ...... and the others are missing?　What the hell is going on?"

This was Berlich Becker.

He, too, is on his way to the town of Urau .......